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White House Denies Trump Slept During Oval Office Drug-Price Announcement

A brief video of the president with closed eyes drew wide sharing, prompting fresh scrutiny of his on-camera vigor.

Overview

  • The moment occurred Nov. 6 during an Oval Office event detailing a plan to cut prices on certain medications for diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
  • Clips and photos circulated heavily over the weekend on social media, with some posts surpassing one million views.
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom amplified the images with memes and criticism, echoing language Trump previously used about Joe Biden.
  • White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the president was not sleeping and emphasized that he spoke throughout and took questions from reporters.
  • Coverage referenced Trump's age and his disclosure of an October MRI at Walter Reed as context, and noted a person fainted behind him minutes after the moment.